It's possible for a team to play great possession hockey without really making any actual progress in the attack - often choosing the easy pass by going sideways or backward.
Good attacking play requires vision and heads up hockey - your players need to know who's ahead of them so that they can play a clever and cutting through pass up the field.
To transform your team's possession into attacking opportunities you will need to encourage your players to make leading runs into space, look up to spot these runs and make the pass to cut through the opposition's defence. That's why in this session we're promoting the forward pass to launch the attack - with two moving for the pass drills, designed to get players attacking the goal, followed by a conditioned game of Joker in the Scoring Zone to allow them to put practice into play.
The best hockey players in the world do not just react faster; they scan more frequently and process information before the ball arrives. This article explores the science behind scanning, how to coach spatial awareness as a habit, and practical drills that force players to lift their heads and read the game.
In hockey, you can only score from inside the circle. Getting the ball into the D with purpose and creating genuine shooting chances is the hardest part of attack. This article examines the different types of circle entry, why entry angle determines shot quality, and how to train your team to penetrate the most congested area on the pitch.
The best teams don't just press - they press at the right moment. Here's how to train your players to read the cues.